Flume.



P. T. SNYDER.

FLUME.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.31,1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. C-

UNTTE sra'rs PATENT onrron.

PARKE T. SNYDER, 01E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. OF ONE-HALF TO ROSS J.

BEATTY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLUME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 31, 1913. Serial No. 757,733.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARKE T. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flumes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flumes, penstocks, or troughs.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a fiume, or other conduit, designed to be made of sheet metal, wherein adjoining sections may be readily united to provide water-tight joints therebetween without the use of extraneous means or devices.

Another bject of my invention is to provide means that may be inherent in the blank comprising the section for effecting the joint between adjoining sections when said blank is longitudinally bowed or curved to form atrough.

Another object of my invention is to simplify theconstruction to the extent that the sheets of metal of which to form the troughsections may be shipped while fiat, if desired, to reduce the haulage rate, the sections subsequently to be bent or folded along their longitudinal marginal edges, by means of simple tools, at or near the location of erection of the flume.

Other and further objects of my invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a broken-away perspective view, showing a section of a flume under construction; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a finished part, taken near the joint between two adjoining sections; Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show plan views of blanks to form adjacent sections of the fiume; Fig. 5 is a broken-away plan View, showing a part of a clamp engaging opposite edges of the trough at the joints between the two sections; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of a modification.

The gist of my invention consists in fastening, or securing together in any substantial manner, the meeting or lapped portions of two adjacent metal sheets at their longitudinal edges, the contacting surfaces of which at the joints are equal in extent, so that when they are longitudinally bowed or curved to form a trough the inner section will receive a compressing stress and the outer section will receive an expansion stress. The joining together at the edges may be accomplished while one or both of these sheets are substantially flat, the joined sheets being subsequently longitudinally curved to form a trough, thereby effecting water tight contact between the lapped joint portions of said sheets. When two sheets of metal, comprising such adjacent sections of a conduit to be formed thereby, are secured together in the aforesaid manner,as shown when one or both are flat, so that when curved or bowed there can be no relative transverse movement or shifting displacement of the members,-the inner sheet, on account of its tending to occupy the same circumferential plane as that of the outer sheet, will be forced into contact at the interlapped portions with the outer sheet with such force or pressure as to produce intimate contact between the sheets throughout the entire lapped area.

There are many and various means by which the edges of adjoining sheets may be secured at their longitudinal, marginal, or side edges where they are lapped together, all of which means are within the contemplation of my invention.

While I have shown only one modification of the preferred form of my invention it is apparent that it is susceptible to many variations that are not specifically herein illustrated.

in carrying my invention into eifect it is advantageous to fold or bend back portions of the longitudinal edges of the sheet to thereby provide ribs or beads to render these edges stronger or more stable, and these folded or bent back portions may also be employed as means for holding the interlapped portions of the adjacent sheet in proper relation to effect the joints, in accordance with my invention. Specifically, the adjacent sections 10 and 11 have their longitudinal marginal edges bent inwardly, as at 1212 respectively, and then upwardly, as at 13--13. The last bend is not necessary for the purposes of the joint, but it serves to remove the rough marginal edge from contact with objects such as twigs, leaves, and the like, that may be floating down the flume and it also serves to further strengthen the marginal side edges of the conduit or flume. After these bends or Patented Dec. 30, 1913. j

heads have been formed in the longitudinal edges of the respective members subsequently to be used to form the trough, the adjacent ends of adjoining sheets or members are to be telescoped, one within the other, while one sheet or section at least is dat, for a distance equal to the desired width of the lap. In doing this, it may be necessary to bow up the center portion of the inner sheet, from the flat sheet, in order to insert the ends thereof within the bent or beaded marginal portion of the lower or outer sheet, and then to force the sheets into flat parallel relation prior to concurrently bowing or curving them into the trough shape. They are then ready to be bow ed into trough shape, and while doing so the marginal edges are drawn together, while pressure may be applied to the intermediate surface of the trough, to depress this portion while the marginal edges are raised in forming the trough. The clamp 14, having downturned ends 15 and 16', is placed over the marginal edge of the trough to retain the parts in the desired position. The resiliency of the sheet metal sections will serve to hold the clamp in place, but if desired it may be more positively retained by means of a tang 17 that may be cut from the body part of the clamp, and downwardly deflected to underlie the inwardly turned marginal edges of the sections 10 and 11 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Clamps of this general character may be placed at intervals over the upturned marginal edges of the trough to retain the joined sections in trough shape. hen the sheet metal, of which the trough 15 to be made, is very thin, such as thin sheet tin, the blanks may be substantial duplicate of each other and of uniform width. But when the blanks of metal, say number 16 gage 1 0 feet long and 28 inches wide at one end, i have found it to be of advantage to make the other end twenty seven and three quarters inches wide to compensate for the thickness of the metal, so that the parts will easily telescope, one within the other. to provide the lap. In Figs. 3 and at the ad acent ends are shown to be of difierent widths for this purpose. Instead of trimming the edges of the blank, however, the substantial difference in width may be effeet-ed by tapering the longitudinal folded marginal portions so that one end of the folded portion of the section will be wider than the other and the narrower end of one section may be easily and effectively introduced into the wider end of the adjacent section, thereby to effect the interlapped relation between the parts.

While it is preferable to have the oints between sections so arranged that the water will flow over them, like the rain over a shingled roof, instead of against the joint,

the'trough may be made of alternatinglyuniform wide and narrow. sections, each section having parallel edges, but in this event every alternate joint would have its inner salient edge facing toward the direction from which the water fiows,-a construction within the contemplation of my claims but not so advantageous as a structure wherein the inner edge of all the joints face in the opposite direction.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a structure is shown wherein the longitudinal marginal edges of the members are bent inwardly. Fig. 6 shows a structure wherein said edges are bent outwardly. This structure retains all of the beneficial advantages accruing from the former method of bending the parts. The clamp 14 has its ends bent downwardly, as at 15, and its terminals bent inwardly, as at 17. The latter bend serves the same purposes as the tang 17' of the clamp 14.

WVhile I have herein described and shown the preferred form of my invention for the purpose of clear disclosure, it is evident that many variations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

VV'hat I claim is:

1. A flume comprising a plurality of flat sheet metal sections interlapped and joined only at the longitudinal side edges of the lap, the transverse distance between joints along the contacting surfaces of the two sections being equal before bowing, and means holding said sections bowed into troughlike form, whereby the interlapped sections are subjected mutually to compression and expansion stresses. to force the confronting surfaces of the lapped portions into tight intimate contact.

2. A flume comprising a plurality of flat sheet metal sections interlapped and having their longitudinal edges turned back upon themselves to provide joint members only at the longitudinal side edges of the lap, the transverse distance between the engaging turned-back parts, along the contacting surfaces of the two sections, being equal before bowing; and means holding said sections bowed in trough-like form, whereby the interlapped sections are subjected mutually to compression and expansion stresses to force the confronting surfaces of the lapped portions into tight intimate contact.

3. A fiume comprising a plurality of flat sheet metal sections interlapped and having their longitudinal edges turned back upon themselves throughout the entire length of each section to strengthen said edges and to provide joint members only at the longitudinal, side edges of the lap, the transverse distance between; the engaging back-turned parts, along the contacting surface of the two sections, being equal before bowing; and means at intervals along the joined sections holding said sections bowed into trough-like form, whereby the interlapped portions of the sections are subjected mutually to compression and expansion stresses to force the confronting surfaces of the lapped portion into tight intimate contact.

4. A fiume comprising a plurality of sheet metal sections interlapped at contiguous ends and secured together only at the side edges of said interlapped ends for substantial contact of the interlapped surfaces of adjoining sections when substantially flat; and means holding said sections in transversely bowed, trough-shape throughout their length, whereby the lapped end of the inner section is forced into tight intimate contact with the lapped end of the outer section.

5. A fiume comprising a plurality of sheets of metal interlapped to provide a joint; joining members for each sheet, located at the marginal edges of said lap, each sheet having a pair of said members, and said members of each pair being substantially the same transverse distance apart to exert a compression and expansion stress on the inner and outer members, respectively, when said members are bowed into trough shape; and means engaging said marginal edges of said members to hold them in trough-shapes.

6. The method of constructing a flume which consists in providing a series of sheetmetal members; interlapping said members at adj oining ends; securing said'lapped portions together only at opposite marginal edges of the lap while said sheets are flat; then bowing said joined members into trough-shape; and holding said members in such position by engagement of a part with both longitudinal edges thereof.

7. The method of constructing a flume which consists in providing a series of sheet metal members; turning back the longitudr nal edges thereof; interlapping said members at adjoining ends by telescoping one Within the other while substantially flat, thus securing the lapped portions at the op posite marginal outer edges of the lap; then bowing said members into trough-shape; and holding said members in such position by engagement of a series of parts at intervals with both longitudinal edges of said fiume.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

f PARKE T. SNYDER.

In the presence of Foinn BAIN, MARY F. ALLEN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

